27022019-btd-01.qxd 2/26/2019 11:17 PM Page 1 c m y b Bathinda TRIBUNE FOUR-DAY KABADDI CARNIVAL KICKS OFF IN NINE BLOCKS PAGE 2 In the carnival, youths, aged panches and sarpanches and girls will show their talent in various competitions. FORECAST RAINY INBRIEF KHARAR MAN BOOKED FOR FRAUD Malout: Malout (City) police have booked a resident of Kharar for allegedly duping a local resident of Rs 6 lakh by promising him to double the amount within nine months. The complainant, Sumit Brar, a resident of Adarsh Nagari here, alleged that Surinder Singh, a financier from Kharar, had taken Rs 6 lakh from him in September 2017, but did not return it. A case under Section 420 of the IPC has been registered in this regard. TNS CITY MAN BOOKED FOR STEALING BIKE Bathinda: The city police on Tuesday booked a man for stealing a motorcycle. The accused, identified as Rakesh Kumar of Guru Ki Nagari, has been booked under Section 379 of the IPC at Kotwali police station. Police claimed that they got a tip-off that the accused had been roaming on a stolen motorcycle at the hospital bazaar in the city. However, he could not be arrested. TNS FUEL PRICES PETROL ~71.55 DIESEL ~65.78 WHAT’S ON BATHINDA KABADDI CARNIVAL: Second day of the Kabaddi Carnival to be played in various blocks of the district; 10 am MY CHARACTER IN TAKHT SOCIALLY RELEVANT: KAREENA PAGE 3 DALLJIET TO BE LEAD FACE OF ZEE TV’S DIVYA SHAKTI Kareena Kapoor to undergo dialect training for her historical period drama Takht, based in the Mughal era. MAX 18°C | MIN 7°C | YESTERDAY MAX 20°C | MIN 7°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6:27 PM PAGE 4 Dalljiet, a household popular face with viewers, to be lead face of Zee TV’s Divya Shakti as Goddess Parvati. SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:58 AM WEDNESDAY | 27 FEBRUARY 2019 | BATHINDA City on red alert post-IAF air strikes MC to intensify drive to recover More police personnel deployed at railway station, oil depots, refinery Sukhmeet Bhasin Tribune News Service Bathinda, February 26 The city has been put on red alert after the Indian Air Force strike on terror camps in Pakistan on Tuesday morning. The police have intensified the security set up and checking at the city railway station and other places. The Government Police Force (GRP), along with the Railway Police Force (RPF), conducted a joint search operation at the city railway station. Police personnel checked bags of passengers inside the halted trains as well. Also, random checking of passengers and their baggage was done at platforms. Besides, deployment and patrolling of police was also stepped up in the district. The city police also barricaded various parts of the city. Taking no chances, the police reviewed the security arrangement at all vital locations in the district, including the Air Force station at Bhisiana, Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, NFL, railway station and oil depots. Bathinda SSP Nanak Singh said “Following the air strikes by IAF in Pakistan, red alert have been sounded in the district. property, water tax Tribune News Service NOTICES ISSUED Personnel of the GRP and the RPF check baggage of passengers at the railway station in Bathinda on Tuesday. PHOTO: VIJAY KUMAR Security of the important locations has been reviewed and patrolling, along with checking, has been intensified in the district”. He said security at the Air Force station had been intensified, while two PAP companies had already been deployed at the oil refinery. Internal security at oil depots had also been reviewed. Deputy Commissioner Praneet said “The situation is fully under control and there is no need to panic”. It is also pertinent to mention that red alert means the final stage of alert in which enemy attack appears imminent. It is worth mentioning that a few months ago, Bathinda was put on high alert following the inputs of dreaded terrorist Zakir Musa being spotted in the state. He was known to be hiding in Bathinda or Ferozepur district. At that time, 8 Garhwal regiment of the Army was deployed at the railway station, but he has not been nabbed yet. SECURITY UP AT BHISIANA AIRBASE ■ While the security set up has been tightened in the entire district, as many as 40 Punjab Police commandos were deployed around Bhisiana airbase in Bathinda. Senior police officials held a meeting with officials of the Air Force and refinery to discuss the security situation. Also, movement of a large number of Army trucks to the border areas was reported. ■ MF Farooqui, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bathinda Range, said “A red alert has been sounded in the district following the air strikes by Indian Air Force this morning”. ■ Bathinda SSP Nanak Singh said he had held a meeting with the Air Force officials at Bhisiana airbase and intensified its security with the deployment of 40 commandos. ■ It is pertinent to mention that in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the Bathinda junction, which is one of the largest in Asia, had come under attack and its railway tracks were damaged to interrupt supply of oil and ammunition to Indian troops Bathinda, February 26 The Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) has planned to intensify its drive to recover outstanding property and sewerage/ water tax by tightening the noose around defaulters in the city. To achieve the target of property tax recovery, set at Rs 11.50 crore for 2018-19, the MCB’s tax branch has started issuing notices to defaulting residents. As per MCB officials, more than 17,000 commercial and residential units have not paid property tax this year so far, due to which notices were issued to them under Section 138 of the Municipal Act. The corporation had issued maximum notices to those who had not paid residential property tax from the past five years. Sources said after getting the notice, a large number of residents had turned up to pay the tax. It is pertinent to mention that the MCB is facing the problem of non-payment of taxes as far as residential units are concerned. The civic body had started a drive against the defaulters of commercial tax in the city, as a result of which a large number of people paid their commercial property tax As per MCB officials, more than 17,000 commercial and residential units have not paid property tax this year so far, due to which notices were issued to them under Section 138 of the Municipal Act. The corporation had issued maximum notices to those who had not paid residential property tax from the past five years. but no action was ever taken against defaulting residential units, due to which the latter did not pay taxes from the past some years. Apart from this, the MCB is also tightening noose against the defaulters of sewerage and water bills. The corporation has planned to hand over the work of bill recovery to Triveni Company. The company will be tasked with recovering outstanding tax amount of around Rs 10 crore. Mayor Balwant Rai Nath said the residents were not paying property tax on residential units due to which the MCB was facing huge losses. To counter the same, the corporation had issued notices to them. With the hiring of the private firm for collection of sewerage and water bills in the city, the corporation was hopeful of reaching its tax recovery targets, the Mayor added. Mobile app ‘C Vigil’ to Civic body fails to check cattle menace address poll code plaints Bathinda first corporation to levy cow cess | Has ~3.5 crore in its kitty Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Bathinda, February 26 Mansa Deputy Commissioner Apneet Riyait on Tuesday said C Vigil (Citizen Vigil) app, developed by the Election Commission of India (ECI), would enable people to lodge complaints regarding violation of the poll code of conduct. It would also help in disposing of the complaints effectively and in a time-bound manner. In the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, public can easily lodge complaints using this mobile application, she said. Similarly, the ECI had prepared Suvidha mobile application that enabled political parties to apply for various kinds of permission online to mitigate crowding at the election office and avoid unnecessary harassment. Parties can seek permission for use of loudspeaker, holding gatherings etc on the app, she stated. Imparting training to the election staff, the DC directed them to motivate maximum number of people to download the mobile application and give their valuable contribution in holding elections in a transparent manner. During the training session, the staff was told about the rules and regulations that come into force with the declaration of the model code of conduct. Riyait said the committees formed to monitor expenditure of political par- ties should do it with thorough transparency. Besides maintaining expenditure register, it was also mandatory to maintain a shadow register of the same. The security measures to be taken by the police were also discussed. The staff was also imparted training of the procedures involved from filing of nomination papers to declaration of results. ADC (G) Rajdeep Singh Brar, ADC (D) Gurmeet Singh Sidhu, Mansa SDM Abhijeet Kaplish, Sardulgarh SDM Latif Ahmed, Budhlada SDM Aditya Dhachwal, DDPO Dinesh Vashisht, election tehsildar Gurcharan Singh and officers of other departments were also present during the training session. Bathinda, February 26 Despite having cow cess of Rs 3.5 crore in its kitty, the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) has failed to resolve stray cattle menace in the city. The problem of stray cattle is posing a serious threat to residents in almost every part of the city. The cattle roam freely on roads, inflicting serious injuries on pedestrians and those riding two-wheelers. Several fatal mishaps have taken place due to the stray animals, resulting in loss of precious lives. Besides, many people have sustained serious injuries in such mishaps. The root cause of the problem is unplanned dairies in and around the city. The owners, after milking cattle, let ISSUES FACED ■ Scarcity of trained manpower ■ Lack of gaushalas to keep the cattleheads ■ Tendency of neighbouring towns and cities to catch their stray cattle and leave them outside the city limits Cow cess is being charged on a number of items, such as cars, two-wheelers, electricity bill, marriage palaces, cement bags and liquor The stray cattle cause many mishaps, sometimes fatal, on the city roads. TRIBUNE PHOTO them loose so that they can graze outside. The problems of impounding these cattle are many, including the scarcity of trained manpower, lack of gaushalas and the ten- dency of the neighbouring towns and cities to catch their stray cattle and leave them outside the city limits. Residents say they pay cow cess on a number of items, such as cars, two-wheelers, electricity bill, marriage palaces, cement bags and liquor, but the MCB has not been able to find a solution to the cattle menace. It is pertinent to mention that MCB is the first corporation in the state to introduce cow cess to check the problem of stray cattle menace. Rakesh Narula, a social worker, said “The MCB has been collecting cow cess but with the stray cattle menace taking lives of so many people and creating a nuisance on city roads, it seems that the money meant for the purpose has not been spent properly”. Mayor Balwant Rai Nath said “We are giving grants to gaushalas for cattle diet. Also, we are also regularly lifting stray cattle from the city and dropping them at Harraipur cattle pound or at Dera Rumi wala at Gonaina”. The MCB were doing efforts but was facing a shortage of place to keep the stray cattle, he added. PSPCL mulls closing thermal plant school Cites losses on account of salaries, expenses | 330 students to be affected Sameer Singh Tribune News Service Bathinda, February 26 The future of more than 300 students studying in a special school run by the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP), Bathinda, seems to be in jeopardy with the PSPCL authorities mulling shutting the school down citing losses suffered on account of salaries of teachers and staff and maintenance expenses. The school was set up for children of the employees of the thermal plant. But after the plant was closed, the powercom employees were transferred or accom- modated at various other locations, affecting the strength of the school. Initially, students of only thermal plant employees were given admissions. But later, outsiders were also allowed to enrol their children at the school. Kuldeep Kumar, general manager of GNDTP Bathin, da, said “We have been bearing annual expenses to the tune of Rs 2 crore on account of salaries of staff members and maintenance of the school. Moreover, out of the 330 students studying in the school, only 40 students are related to thermal plant employees. There are 14 teachers appointed at the school currently. We have tried everything possible to run the school but PSPCL is already running into losses. Last year, on the request of the school authorities, PSPCL had granted one-year extension but this year the extension was not granted.” Asked about the future of the students, Kumar said, “We are only answerable for the children of thermal employees, but others have to manage things on their own. As far as teachers are concerned, if the decision to discontinue the school is implemented, we will try to accommodate them in other schools associated with thermal plants in the state.” Meanwhile, there is a sense of panic among teachers and students. Teachers said they had been rendering services at the school for years and were still a few years away from their retirement. If the department transferred them to Ropar or Lehra Mohabbat, where other thermal plants are situated, it would be really difficult for them to continue their jobs. Similarly, students were also worried as they would have to seek admission in other schools in the city. A majority of students study- c m y b ing in the school are from the lower socio-economic strata of society. Notably, the annual fee and examination charges of the school are quite low, as compared to other government schools. A teacher at the school, requesting anonymity, said if the school was shut, there was a likelihood that many students who came from poor families might have to discontinue their studies. The department should not have given admissions to other students if they cannot retain them now. Power Minister Gurpreet Kangar could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. The school run under the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) in Bathinda. PHOTO: VIJAY KUMAR

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